Area schools administrators count additional students

Predicting who will be where when the roll is called isn't easy for schools, two area superintendents said.

"You can guess and speculate and try to be as scientific as possible, but the bottom line is, you just kind of have to wait and see who shows up," said Cal Cormack, Basehor-Linwood superintendent.

Preston Putthoff, a fourth-grade student at Genesis Christian
Academy, worked on his assignments Friday afternoon. He's one of 12
students in Shelly Hunter's class.

Richard Erickson, Tonganoxie superintendent, agreed.

Preliminary enrollment numbers for Tonganoxie school district show a drop from what was anticipated at the start of this school year, the school superintendent said.

"A couple of weeks ago we were at 1,418," Erickson said. "We're at 1,406 as of today."

Erickson said until the district's official count is tallied on Sept. 20, he won't be certain what this year's enrollment is.

Last year, Erickson said, the district had a full-time-student equivalent of 1,403.5.

So, it appears this year's enrollment in Tonganoxie schools will top that, he said.

"I'm going to feel good if we can hold our own and not bottom out as far as losing significant numbers in enrollment, which has been the case for the last five years," Erickson said. "I hope this has been the turning point for us."

Genesis Christian Academy

Shelly Gossett, administrator of the 5-year-old private school, said 73 students are enrolled in the school's kindergarten through sixth grades. Additionally, 56 children are enrolled in preschool.

The school, which meets in classrooms at the Tonganoxie Christian Church, will move early this month into the church's newly completed educational wing.

About half of the elementary school students commute from neighboring towns, Gossett said. The preschool will remain in its present location.